Not quite glam-ping but pretty close. (Sari Shocket’22/Media)

We aren’t really camping out on campus, but it sure feels like it.

For the first weeks of school, we ate in the Lazarus Courtyard on our tarps. But then the rain came and in just a few days, Academy hoisted a large tent with flaps, a floor for 6-feet apart stumps, and doors to accommodate any overflow and observe Covid guidelines.

At first I wasn’t sure how comfortable eating lunch inside a tent it would be, but now I can’t imagine eating anywhere else. Sure, it gets little cold on some days, but hearing my friends talking and laughing instantly warms my heart to no end.

Sitting inside with two per table and facing the same direction makes it hard to keep up conversations with more than one person at a time. Outside, we can see everyone’s face which makes the cold well worth it. Inside the tent there is plenty of room to space out, and stumps and tarps to sit on, as well as flooring to keep out the water.

Having the opportunity to be at school on a regular basis and talk to my friends is more of a blessing than I ever realized.

While this year has been a big adjustment from the way things used to be, I feel that as a community, we are taking it in stride. Even though we have to stay 6-feet apart, strategies are being put into place to keep us together as much as possible.